The prior art is replete with diverse fish cleaning and scaling implements as can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,519,689; 3,270,368; 3,667,086; and 4,297,765.
As shown in the aforementioned prior art patents the vast majority of implements found in this area of technology are primarily concerned with and designed to facilitate the scaling of fish.
While these prior art structures are more than adequate for their intended purpose and function, they are uniformly deficient in their shortsighted approach regarding the cleaning of the entire fish including the body cavity.
Obviously, it is important to remove the scales of a fish as a preliminary step in the preparation of the fish; however, of even more importance is the thorough cleaning of the fish's body cavity.
Anyone even remotely familiar with the problems associated with the proper cleaning of fish, such as the occasional recreational angler, soon comes to the quick realization that even after a fish has been gutted, a certain amount of viscera will remain attached to the walls and crevices in the body cavity. Not only is this result unpleasant from an appearance standpoint, but more importantly this residue is particularly susceptible to spoilage that may ultimately taint the flesh of the fish.
Up until the development of the present invention, both commercial and recreational anglers had to improvise and employ implements that were neither designed nor intended for the removal of the body cavity viscera and residue. The end result of those efforts were, and continue to be, unpredictable, and soley dependent on the dexterity and skill of the individual users of the diverse implements.